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Articles on Solar system

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An artist’s impression of the exoplanet in close orbit to a star. ESA, NASA, G. Tinetti (University College London, UK & ESA) and M. Kornmesser (ESA/Hubble)

We’ve found an exo-planet with an extraordinarily eccentric orbit

A solitary planet in an eccentric orbit around an ancient star may help astronomers understand exactly how such planetary systems are formed.
It’s a bird… It’s a plane… No, it’s an object from another solar system! Astronomers have been scrambling to identify a mysterious object passing through our solar system at a speed of about 160,000 km/h. This NASA file image shows a simulation of asteroids passing the earth. (Handout)

How scientists discovered our first interstellar mystery visitor

Astronomers have detected what is believed to be the first interstellar object ever seen passing through our solar system.
Cassini makes the first radio occultation of Saturn’s rings producing this simulated image with green for particles smaller than 5cm and purple where particles are larger. NASA/JPL

The beauty and mystery of Saturn’s rings revealed by the Cassini mission

The Cassini space probe took us up close and through the beautiful rings of Saturn. It captured some amazing images, and even the sound of the rings during its mission.
A Cassini portrait of five of Saturn’s moons. Janus (179km across) is on the far left, Pandora (81km across) orbits between the A ring and the thin F ring, Enceladus (504km across) is centre, Rhea (1,528km), is bisected by the right edge of the image and the smaller moon Mimas (396km) is seen beyond Rhea also on the right side of the image. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Space Science Institute

What Cassini’s mission revealed about Saturn’s known and newly discovered moons

The Cassini space probe discovered several new moons on its mission to Saturn, and revealed fresh views of the moons we already knew about.
Jupiter’s Great Red Spot observed by Juno in July 2017. .NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Kevin M. Gill

Six mysteries of Jupiter’s Great Red Spot

Juno has flown closer to the solar system’s most famous storm than any other spacecraft to take the most detailed images to date. They may help scientists reveal some of the spot’s best-kept secrets.

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